How It Seems
by MaraSeti05
Summary: Oneshot. Rukia contemplates on her aniki.


How It Seems

Summary: (_One-shot_) Rukia's thoughts about her aniki.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Warning: Spoilers up to the Hueco Mundo Arc.

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"_Onii-sama…"_

It seems that no matter where I go, you will always be able to find me, whether I wish it or not; I cannot stand against that fearsome will of yours—Ichigo:

_Unbelievable that he had survived after the attack from Byakuya-aniki, much less that he was still able to move around. Ichigo was truly amazing, but I knew that he would never be able to stand up to the impossible strength of my aniki. He would be killed._

_The shock and pain I glimpsed in his eyes when I announced I would return to Soul Society tore at me, but I was doing it for him. A last glimpse behind me, of the pitiful sight Ichigo made, and then the gate closed. There would be no mercy, no forgiveness from my aniki if I had delayed any longer; the only thing I could do was to return with him, for it was futile to oppose such an immovable will as his. _

It seems that no matter what I do, you will never acknowledge me; even if I am your sister only in name, thank you for everything.—Renji:

"_That guy is your big brother, there's no way he would just stand by and watch you die." _

_It would have been comforting if it had been true, but I understood the reality of the situation._

"_No. That person is going to kill me. Not once has that person ever truly looked at me, not over the forty years since I was adopted by the Kuchiki family." Poor Renji, not even you, his Lieutenant, understands the complexity of my onii-sama._

_At my execution he did not even glance my way, acting serenely. Strangely, that serenity was enough to calm the turmoil in my heart left from my encounter with Ichimaru; content with my life, I had no regrets…thank you, onii-sama…_

It seems that you will never fail to surprise me, and I will never fail to take comfort your presence—Aizen:

_My body felt numb, unresponsive. I could do nothing but remain limp in Aizen's hand, unable to defend myself against Captain Ichimaru's attack. After everything that Ichigo and Renji had risked in order to save me, I was going to die, and at the hands of a two men we had all considered to be one of us._

_With a sense of sick fascination I watched the blade approach with frightening rapidity, but it never reached its target. Instead of the feel of steel piercing my flesh, I was held close to a warm body, staring dumbly up into the face of none other than my nii-sama. His hand grasped the sword that had sought my life, a sword that was now embedded in his side, another injury added to his already torn up body._

_He was at his limit, and to my horror he remained completely unresponsive to my frantic entreaties, slumped unconscious against me. My surprise at his unexpected appearance and rescue was nothing compared to the protective desperation that consumed me when I noticed Aizen's casual movement towards his own sword. At Yoruichi and Soifon's timely intervention his surprise was imperceptible, as though he was still the master pulling all of the strings; it didn't matter, at least Byakuya-aniki was safe in my arms._

It seems that Aizen wasn't the only one protecting a secret—Byakuya:

_When I was adopted into the Kuchiki family, I was given the explanation that it was because I looked like nii-sama's deceased wife, Hisana-sama. I never questioned it, and perhaps in my heart, it was the justification I convinced myself of whenever I considered aniki's coolness towards me. The revelation that Hisana-sama was in truth my sister was a complete shock, and after hearing the whole story I was left reeling._

_You could have knocked me over with a feather when nii-sama actually apologized to me; such admissions do not come easy to those with pride such as his. At that moment I felt closer to him than ever before; I had always held a deep respect for him, but true affection blossomed in my heart after his stunning revelation. I would never have guessed such a secret existed, but after learning the truth, I felt that I understand my nii-sama just a little bit better._

It seems that at my weakest moments, vulnerable to attack, you are there to halt any strike aimed at me, an unsurpassed protection to be envied—Yoshi:

_The Bount threat was taking its toll on my still recovering body. Even attempting to cast the more basic kidō spells was exhausting after too much. I was in no shape for prolonged battles, and a surprise attack was the last thing I needed. From the beginning the outcome seemed certain, in my weakened state I could not last long against the Yoshi woman. I was certain that I would die at that woman's hands_

_The final blow never came; she was the one to experience the bite of your sword, was given a taste of your impressive strength. In your arms I was protected when I was too weak to protect myself._

It seems that you are always rescuing me, even after you've made it clear that I must succeed through my own determination and strength—Novena Espada:

_I managed to defeat that Arrancar monstrosity known as A'roniro Arurueri, the Ninth Espada, even though it almost cost my life. He had dared to defile the precious memory of Kaien-dono, but surprisingly, that battle finally allowed me the closure on the death of my dear mentor and friend that I had been searching for so long._

_As I lay there, on the edge of unconsciousness, feeling my life slowly slip away, I could sense a presence of danger approach. With death so close at hand, my heart was filled with fear and regret…but then, most unexpectedly, I felt your presence appear in front of me, shielding me, and suddenly I felt…free. Free from regret, free from fear, free from pain. At that moment, it didn't matter that my life was slowly bleeding out from under me, or that the wounds I had received from the fight needed immediate medical attention; no, all that seemed to matter was that you were there, that you had come, once again, to rescue me, my impressive onii-sama…_

It seems that I have the best big brother in any of the three realms, for no matter where I am, there is no place his protection can't reach me.

"…_Arigatou."  
_

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A/N: This was inspired by Byakuya's timely appearance in Hueco Mundo when Rukia was about to be killed by the 7th Espada. I hope it was enjoyable.

×Chapter 4 of Irresistible Strawberry is currently in the making, but on the back burner until I get through my finals, and the first three chapters will also be getting a few revisions. Look for the new chapter in about a week and a half. Thanks for your patience×

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